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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23722885">Twisted Every Way</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KChan88/pseuds/KChan88'>KChan88</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>She Was Bound to Love You [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux, Phantom of the Opera - Lloyd Webber</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bisexual Female Character, Bisexual!Christine, F/F, Genderbending, Lesbian Character, Lesbian!Raoul, Period-Typical Homophobia, Rule 63</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:34:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,671</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23722885</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KChan88/pseuds/KChan88</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Raoul de Chagny was a woman?</p>
<p>A series featuring the major events (and a few things in-between) from the Phantom of the Opera, with a gender-bent, lesbian Raoul (and a bisexual Christine). ALW based, with Leroux elements.</p>
<p>Scene 6: In the aftermath of the Masquerade, Raoul, Christine, and the others in the Paris Opera must decide what to do about Don Juan. In the shadows a ghost waits, darkly fascinated by his unexpected romantic rival.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Raoul de Chagny/Christine Daaé</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>She Was Bound to Love You [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1627735</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Twisted Every Way</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Raoul can’t stop pacing across the room.</p>
<p>Back and forth. Back and forth.</p>
<p>She hopes Philippe doesn’t hear what happened tonight before she can get home, he’ll be worried sick, for certain. At least it’s New Years, which might prevent word from spreading too quickly, the whole of Paris drenched in wine.</p>
<p>She can only imagine what Phillipe will say full stop, when he hears about this.</p>
<p>
  <em>You leave that place right now Raoul. They can find another patron. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It’s dangerous Raoul. </em>
</p>
<p>He wouldn’t be wrong. But this opera house has a way of tugging at people’s hearts, her own included. She loves and curses this place in equal measure.</p>
<p>“Raoul…” Christine says, nerves pinching the edges of her voice. “Could you sit down?”</p>
<p>“This helps me think,” Raoul mutters, continuing her pacing, though there isn’t much space in the small dressing room<em> to</em> pace. “Though we are due to speak to Andre and Firmin…” She stops, spinning around toward Christine. “Suppose you perform in the opera?”</p>
<p>Christine bites her lip, and she doesn’t shake her head, she doesn’t say<em> no</em>, but Raoul sees that glimmering fear in her eyes.</p>
<p>She feels the same fear in her stomach.</p>
<p>It may be the only way out, but then, surely there must be another way, a way not to put Christine in direct danger. They could leave the opera entirely, even though Raoul doesn’t like giving in to the ghost, not when this place means so much to Christine. He would follow them, if they left. Raoul feels certain of that, now. The look in his eyes in that strange mirrored room told her so. She’s wanted to summon the police more than once, but how does one catch a man who bears all the trappings of a spirit? Who slips through fingers with ease? Who always seems to have the upper hand?</p>
<p>How does she <em>gain</em> the upper hand?</p>
<p>“I would really rather…” Christine pauses, debating her words. “I would rather not.”</p>
<p>“No, of course, you’re right,” Raoul says, stopping her anxious movements and taking Christine’s hands, squeezing tight. “We’ll come up with another way.”</p>
<p>It tastes a little like a lie, and Raoul hates herself. She wonders if playing the game is the only way to win.</p>
<p>“Raoul,” Christine says in a small voice. “What are we going to do about…” she swallows, sitting up a little straighter. “About what Erik did, during the Masquerade? What he said?”</p>
<p>Raoul kneels down by Christine’s chair, doing her best to calm herself down. She’s been mocked before, made to feel less, even if her money and her status did keep her somewhat shielded. But Christine hasn’t experienced this. She hasn’t experienced the pain of people whispering, and you knowing full well what they were whispering about.</p>
<p>“As much of a proponent as I am of dealing with things head on…” Raoul answers, and that does put a small, amused smile on Christine’s face. “I think we say nothing, unless directly asked. They probably won’t say anything specific, though depending on their feelings on the matter, they may be strange, or even mean over it, without speaking of it clearly. I…” Raoul takes Christine’s hands, putting a kiss on her knuckles. “I’m sorry, in advance.”</p>
<p>Christine shakes her head. “No. I am afraid of what they’ll say, what it might mean for my career, but I love you, most of all. I promise, Raoul.”</p>
<p>Raoul nearly cries again, but there isn’t time, right now. “And I you.”</p>
<p>She gets up, knowing she must look a sight with her mussed hair and her ripped clothing and her cut face, but there’s nothing for it, nothing to do but tuck a few strands of loose fair hair behind her ears and march forward into whatever happens next.  </p>
<p>They leave the dressing room, holding hands until they enter the room where the managers, Madame Giry, Carlotta, Piangi, and Meg are gathered. There’s nothing to hide, now, but there’s no need to aggravate things, either, even if the last thing Raoul wants is to let go. There’s an ongoing argument when they step inside, and everyone’s talking over each other, so Raoul can only make out Carlotta saying <em>this is an outrage</em> and <em>have you seen the size of my part.</em></p>
<p>Raoul opens her mouth to have the first word, but Andre speaks before she can.</p>
<p>“Madmoiselle de Chagny,” he says. “Madame Giry tells us you had a run in with the opera ghost.” He eyes the cut on Raoul’s cheek. “Are you all right?”</p>
<p>Raoul gives one, singular nod, because despite the relative kindness in Andre’s voice, Firmin is peering at them with distaste.</p>
<p>“Well,” Firmin snaps, his hair frazzled like he’s been running his hands through it. “What did the ghost say?”</p>
<p>Firmin sets his jaw, and Andre, standing next to him, looks nervous.</p>
<p>“He made his usual threats.” Raoul keeps vague, because she is not going into detail about her conversation with Erik about anything other than the matter at hand. “He assumed you and Monsieur Andre will do as he said and place Christine in the lead role, among his other demands.”</p>
<p>“Hmph.” Firmin makes an angry noise of protest despite Andre’s sigh in response. “Well, given the behavior of Madmoiselle Daae I am not certain…”</p>
<p>“Firmin,” Andre interrupts. “Let us stay on point, shall we? Madmoiselle Daae has certainly helped us when we needed it.”</p>
<p>There’s an odd, awkward silence, because <em>when we needed it</em> means when Carlotta stormed out. Not surprisingly, the diva can’t let that go.</p>
<p>“I didn’t leave that day because I wanted to,” Carlotta says, though she sounds more subdued than normal, her eyes flicking over Raoul and Christine with…concern? “The ghost had been torturing me for three years by then. It had to stop. I have worked hard in this opera house for a long time, and to swept aside by a man I could not even see was unacceptable.”</p>
<p>Christine steps up even with Raoul, and she’s trembling a little, but she speaks anyway. “I don’t have any desire to play the role, messieurs.”</p>
<p>“Why not?” Firmin says, and the lack of patience in his voice makes Raoul want to absolutely strangle him, but she holds fast. Andre’s always been the kinder of the two, the one who respected her more, so it’s not a surprise to her that Firmin’s the one being crueler here.</p>
<p>“Are you backing out?” Carlotta asks, still in that strange, subdued way, but with a little bite to it.</p>
<p>“You have a duty,” Firmin says, at the same time. “The largest role in this…Don Juan.”</p>
<p>“Firmin…” Andre sighs again, making eye contact with Raoul and mouthing something that looks like <em>I’m sorry</em>.</p>
<p>“I can’t sing this part,” Christine protests, edging just a touch closer to Raoul. “Duty, or not.”</p>
<p>“Why not?” Firmin shouts, repeating his earlier question.</p>
<p>“This opera is a disgrace,” Carlotta mutters. “No one should want to sing it.”</p>
<p>“Surely, Madmoiselle Daae,” Andre says, sounding desperate, and still less angry than Firmin. “It’s an opportunity for you, at least.”</p>
<p>Raoul wants to put her arm around Christine, she wants to comfort her, but she isn’t sure she should even if they all know, and her cheek throbs and her head hurts and she takes the risk anyway, sliding one arm loosely about Christine’s shoulders. She draws an immediate look of disapproval from Firmin, who she has no trouble glaring down, as well as Madame Giry, who looks around the room like she’s waiting for the ghost to protest.</p>
<p>“All due respect, messieurs,” Raoul says, gritting her teeth. “But you cannot make Christine do anything.”</p>
<p>“I think we can,” Firmin argues. “If she wants to keep her place in this opera house after all this trouble. She started this, she ought to finish it, too.”</p>
<p>“Firmin!” Andre raises his voice, looking around the room like Madame Giry did a moment ago.</p>
<p>Firmin raises his hands up in the air, looking at Raoul with unease. “The ghost is obsessed with her, which is what started all of this in the first place, and now we learn that our own patron, a woman, is dallying with one our female stars, it’s…men come to this opera house and feel like they can fall in love with the women on that stage, and now word will get out, it…”</p>
<p>Firmin’s cut off by a high-pitched, operatic screech of a protest, coming from the last person Raoul expected.</p>
<p>Carlotta.</p>
<p>“That’s enough!”</p>
<p>Everyone looks at her, because how could they not? Carlotta, never one to mind having eyes on her, keeps going.</p>
<p>“I will certainly fight for my place in any leading role in this opera house,” she says, meeting Christine’s eyes. “But I do admit to Madmoiselle Daae having a talent, and I will not stand, Monsieur Firmin, for you to be rude to her about any of her personal choices. I have a good friend who…” she clears her throat, not clarifying. “Well the point is you men would be done for without the women in this opera house, and you will treat us with respect. Mademoiselle Daae and Mademoiselle de Chagny included.”</p>
<p>Meg, who’s come to stand on Christine’s other side, claps a hand to her mouth in surprise, though it does little to hide her grin. Christine pauses before slipping out from under Raoul’s arm and stepping toward Carlotta, hesitating before she puts one hand out. Carlotta studies her, a touch suspicious, before accepting it, and Christine looks back at Raoul, who knows without words that it’s time for her to take the conversation back.</p>
<p>“Gentleman,” Raoul says. “I see you have notes. What do they say?”</p>
<p>Firmin furrows his brow, but again, looks at Raoul with unease. “I’m not sure you…”</p>
<p>“Have a right to ask?” Raoul straightens, making use of her height against Firmin’s. She’s tall for a woman, and he’s short for a man, making them just about equal. “Am I the patron of this opera house, Monsieur Fimin?”</p>
<p>“Yes, mademoiselle.”</p>
<p>Part of Raoul wants to invoke her brother’s name, because he’s a man, he’s <em>normal</em>, but she won’t do it. She’ll do this herself.</p>
<p>“And would you like to find another patron?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“The letters are the usual gibberish.” Andre steps up toward Raoul, handing one of the missives over. “This time about needing new orchestra members and firing some of the chorus, as if we can do all of that and put on this opera, which is, to my untrained eye, rather odd, and…racy, shall we say. To put it lightly.”</p>
<p>Raoul doesn’t want to know what that means, but she’s sure to find out.</p>
<p>“I have another note,” Madame Giry adds. “I found it after I pulled you out of the opera ghost’s room, Mademoiselle de Chagny.”</p>
<p>Andre rolls his eyes. “And you’re just telling us this now, Madame?”</p>
<p>“Well…” Madame Giry puts her hand on her hip, and Raoul still doesn’t understand her. “You were all rather busy fighting, you know.”</p>
<p>Andre gestures at her to read, and the room fills to the brim with tension.</p>
<p>“A reminder to my managers that they will do as I ask, and start rehearsals for Don Juan immediately. Carlotta will act, rather than strutting around the stage as she so often does, and truly the same goes for Monsieur Piangi…” Madame Giry pauses, and Raoul imagines the ghost pausing here, his hard, sharp, terrifying eyes flashing inside her head. “As for Miss Christine Daae, I’m sure she’ll do her best. Her voice is good, after all, something to marvel at, even, but she would do well to return to me, if this opera is to be put on the way it deserves. No other teacher can replace me. Your obedient friend, and angel…”</p>
<p>Raoul barely hears the <em>O.G.</em> for how the last, lingering <em>angel</em> reverberates in her head. This ghost, this man, this phantom is not Gustave Daae, and he never could be. It’s a strange, dark thing, pretending to be a spirit sent by someone’s deceased parent, when you’re truly after a different kind of relationship altogether.</p>
<p>Andre shakes his head, looking pointedly at Christine. “Mademoiselle, I’m afraid you’re going to have to perform. I would prefer not to insist upon it, but it may be the only way to catch this man.”</p>
<p>“Yes,” Firmin agrees. “I think it’s the only plan that will do, or this place is ruined. People will never come back.”</p>
<p>Christine shakes her head, but this does not make either man relent, and before Raoul can say anything, before Raoul can stop her, she goes flying from the room, and Raoul’s certain she hears a sob in the hallway outside the managers’ office.</p>
<p>Raoul’s about to follow and leave the managers in her wake to deal with later, when Firmin’s voice cuts through the air.</p>
<p>“She has to do it,” he says, sounding only slightly remorseful. “Or we’re ruined, as I said. I liked you despite your oddness, Mademoiselle de Chagny, but what’s happened here tonight, what we know…You will tell Mademoiselle Daae she will perform, or she will be terminated.”</p>
<p>“Now, Firmin,” Andre argues. “We haven’t…”</p>
<p>He isn’t quite allowed to finish.</p>
<p>Raoul’s boiling blood spills over. She’s tired. She aches. She wants to burst into tears, she wants to hold Christine tight, and she can’t do any of that, right now.</p>
<p>She storms up to Firmin, grasping his collar between her fingers. “You are letting the ghost turn you against me and against Christine when it’s the last thing we should be doing, however you may feel about my choices. Say whatever you like to me, but you will not say one more word to Christine. This opera is her home, and she gave you her talent when you needed it most.” He lets go, nodding at Andre. “Monsieur Andre, please talk some sense into your friend.”</p>
<p>Raoul stalks out of the room, but Carlotta catches her sleeve before she can make her exit.</p>
<p>“If we are not friends I hope we will at least be allies,” the soprano says, softer than Raoul’s ever heard, Piangi nodding next to her. “I thought Christine was in league with the ghost before. I saw tonight that couldn’t be true. I…” she clears her throat, standing up straighter. “I have known several friends in the theater who love as you do, and no one ought to be cruel over it. Especially not a cowardly man pretending to be a ghost.” She raises her voice a little here, almost as if hoping Erik might hear her.</p>
<p>Raoul has to appreciate the gumption.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Signora.” Raoul inclines her heard, giving a little smile. “I appreciate your kind words.”</p>
<p>Meg presses Raoul’s hand as she goes, and then Raoul’s on her own. She doesn’t have to search for Christine long, finding her on the grand stairs sitting in a patch of moonlight streaming in through the window. Raoul realizes she doesn’t know what time it is, pulling a pocket-watch that used to belong to her long dead father out of her ripped jacket.</p>
<p>Three in the morning.</p>
<p>Raoul gives herself a moment to admire how stunning Christine looks in the light, though the silver moon doesn’t do her as much justice as the gold of the sun. Christine was made for the light, and that’s what the ghost will never understand. Taking her down to the darkness will only make her wilt. Christine is deeply resilient, but she needs the warmth and the light to remind her.</p>
<p>She sits down next to Christine, and she feels so vulnerable, so raw, out here in the open, but they have to figure this out. Christine doesn’t say anything, at first, but she does reach for Raoul’s hand, their fingers intertwined. It’s a sweet thing, a brave thing, given anyone could walk by, and after what happened earlier, Raoul wouldn’t blame her for refraining.</p>
<p> “I have to do it, don’t I?”</p>
<p>The pain in Christine’s voice makes Raoul’s blood boil. It makes her want to storm down to the ghost’s lair and rip him to pieces. She can’t, of course, and she doubts Christine would want her to, but she’s so <em>angry</em>. Raoul’s money, her status can lend them some protection, but it can’t take away the whispers, the talk, the hatred some people bear them, and that man had no damn right to do this to them. As if he hasn’t hurt Christine enough.</p>
<p>“I…I would like there to be another way,” Raoul says. “But I do wonder if the only way to win this game is to play it. We tried not playing it, during Il Muto. That ended in disaster. Monsieur Firmin is a fool, and if he says one more cruel word to you I’ll pull out of this opera house, but Andre is less a fool, and I’m too in love with you to have given the idea credence, because I don’t want to put you in danger, ever. And I fear if we go, he’ll follow us. And I hate to see you lose your music, everything you’ve worked so hard for, because of him.”</p>
<p>Christine sniffs, a few tears glimmering like diamonds in her eyes in the half-shadowed hall. “The irony is he gave me my music.”</p>
<p>Raoul shakes her head, tugging on Christine’s hand so their gazes meet. “No, darling. The music’s always been yours. Yours, and your father’s.”</p>
<p>Christine’s lips quirk upward a little, and she puts the back of her hand against Raoul’s injured cheek. “I’ll do it,” she whispers, the spark back in her eyes, the spark that made Raoul fall in love with her so long ago. “But only because if it’s my only chance to be with you without impediment, I’ll take it. I want you safe, Raoul. I think sometimes with all your thought of me, you forget. I…I will try my best to win us this chance. This chance to live.”</p>
<p>Raoul pulls Christine close, then. She holds her tight and doesn’t care if anyone stumbles upon them. This is twisted every way, twisted that they must risk themselves, that Christine must risk herself most of all, to satisfy the whims of a man who treats people as no better than his playthings. She thinks of Madame Giry’s story, but no matter the pain Erik’s been subject to, it doesn’t give him the excuse to make others suffer.</p>
<p>“We’ll sort this out,” she says, shuddering at the mere thought of any harm coming to Christine on that stage. “We’ll do whatever we can to protect you. We’ll have armed men, we’ll bar the doors, we’ll…”</p>
<p>Christine moves back, her hands sliding into the crooks of Raoul’s elbows. “I don’t want to kill him. Erik, I mean. Please Raoul I…”</p>
<p>Raoul closes her eyes, because this is no easy conversation. “I’ll try my best to prevent it, to only move to bring him in, but Christine he…”</p>
<p>Truth be told, even if he’s only arrested, death might still be his end. It’s usually the way, when one commits murder. Perhaps before the night of Il Muto it might not have been the case. Raoul isn’t a proponent of the death penalty, she finds it barbaric, but she can’t say she would plead on this man’s behalf, either. Not after what he’s done to Christine. The terror he’s wreaked on this opera house.</p>
<p>She thinks again of that body hanging from the ceiling. The nauseating sound of the rope wrapping tight around Joseph Buquet’s neck as he fell.</p>
<p>“I know.” Christine finishes the sentence on her own. “There’s no telling what he’ll do, or who he’ll hurt.” She pauses, saying something she sounds like she might already regret. “I know what he is now, but I wish you could have known him, when I thought him different. When he seemed different. There’s something in him, something good, but I fear it lost, now.”</p>
<p>Raoul hesitates, thinking of tonight’s run-in with the infamous Phantom of the Opera. The hatred in his face. The cruelty dripping like melted candle wax from every word. The spark of intrigue in his eyes as he looked at her, like he couldn’t make sense of her, like he wanted to figure her out. She hears his voice in her head, that voice that sounded like it could weave a spell over anyone or anything, sprinkled through with a little sadness.</p>
<p>“I think…I think I can imagine it,” Raoul says. “I saw the man for a moment down there, before the monster took hold.”</p>
<p>Christine looks panicked suddenly, putting her hand on Raoul’s face again as their eyes meet. “I choose you, whatever happens,” she says, so softly it’s barely audible. “I don’t want him to hurt anyone else, and if it’s your life or his then I…I didn’t mean to imply…”</p>
<p>Raoul places her hand over Christine’s. “I know. I know that.”</p>
<p>Her skin grows hot again, hating this man for how he makes Christine fear anyone’s anger, for how he makes her care so little for herself.</p>
<p>She’s not sure she’ll ever forgive him for it.</p>
<p>Meg comes a moment later, taking Christine toward the old ballet dormitories. Raoul says she’ll be there in a moment, and once they’re gone, she’s left alone in the cavernous grand hall. She gets up from the stairs, going to stand in the center of the room where the shadows meet the moonlight.</p>
<p>“This time, my clever friend,” she says, her words whispered shards of rage in the quiet darkness. “The disaster will be yours.” She blinks, letting tears flow down her face, every emotion from the last few hours spilling out. “You have been cruel enough, and I will not suffer it any longer.”</p>
<p>For a long moment, there’s nothing. No movement. No noise. Just silence.</p>
<p>Then there’s a swish of a cloak. An echoing footstep in the marble hall.</p>
<p>Two words.</p>
<p>
  <em>We’ll see. </em>
</p>
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